A bookkeeper records transactions, manages AP/AR, reconciles accounts, and handles payroll. Their focus is on accurate day-to-day records. An accountant closes books, prepares financial statements, ensures GAAP compliance, and manages taxes, providing audit-ready reporting and compliance assurance.

A financial advisor does all of this plus strategic guidance. They create scenario models, forecast cash flow, analyze KPIs, prepare fundraising packages, and provide investor reporting. They also advise on hiring, budgeting, and growth strategy. ACRU delivers this full spectrum efficiently, offering startups both operational accuracy and forward-looking decision support.

These services are a cost-effective alternative to hiring a full-time CFO. Pricing varies by scope, complexity, and hours required. While a full-time hire may cost hundreds of thousands annually, fractional services provide the same strategic expertise at a fraction of the price.

Flexible engagement models include retainer, project-based, or monthly packages. Startups gain scalable, senior-level financial guidance, often recouping costs through better cash management, optimized taxes, and improved fundraising outcomes.

Revenue alone doesn’t determine the need for these services. Consider complexity, fundraising stage, and team size. Pre-$1M, they help implement foundational systems, produce timely reports, and prepare for early investors.

Between $1M to $10M, focus shifts to cap table management, multi-state compliance, advanced financial modeling, and investor communications. Beyond $10M, CFOs support M&A activity, IPO prep, and enterprise-level strategy. Fractional services scale to match needs across all growth stages, ensuring startups get the right level of executive oversight when they need it most.

Key metrics include cash flow, runway, and burn rate; profitability measures like gross margin and EBITDA; and growth indicators such as revenue growth and customer metrics. SaaS companies should also monitor MRR, ARR, churn, CAC, LTV, and Rule of 40.

Operational metrics like headcount efficiency and cost per acquisition provide additional insight. ACRU customizes KPI dashboards to each business model, turning raw data into actionable insights, enabling founders to make informed decisions that guide strategy, optimize resources, and support fundraising.

Fractional CFOs monitor cash inflows and outflows, calculate net burn, and forecast runway using scenario modeling. They optimize working capital, plan the timing of fundraising, and prioritize expenditures.

Weekly or bi-weekly updates highlight risks and opportunities early, giving startups the ability to make proactive, data-driven financial decisions and maintain liquidity even in volatile markets.

R&D tax credits reward qualifying research activities, including software development, engineering, prototyping, and experimentation. They can offset payroll or other eligible costs and are available to pre-revenue startups.

ACRU identifies qualifying work, ensures proper documentation, and maximizes credit capture. This allows founders to recover significant funds to reinvest in product development, hiring, or market expansion.

Burn rate measures how quickly a startup uses cash. Gross burn tracks total expenses, while net burn accounts for revenue. Runway is calculated by dividing cash on hand by net burn. Accurate categorization of costs, including payroll, subscriptions, and contractors, is critical.

Improvement strategies include accelerating revenue, reducing discretionary spending, and optimizing headcount or vendor contracts. ACRU provides continuous monitoring, scenario modeling, and targeted recommendations to maintain runway and operational stability.

Investors typically request historical P&L statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and current projections. Supporting materials include general ledgers, bank reconciliations, accounts receivable aging, contracts, and cap tables.

KPI dashboards, tax filings, and operational metrics may also be required. ACRU prepares complete, organized, and audit-ready financials to streamline investor review and reduce potential friction during fundraising.

Yes. ACRU integrates bookkeeping — monthly closes, payroll, AP/AR, and reconciliations — with services like forecasting, scenario modeling, cash management, KPI tracking, and investor reporting.

This integration ensures continuity, improves accuracy, and aligns operational data with strategic decision-making. Services can scale with the startup’s stage, needs, and growth objectives.

Financial advisory prepares companies 12–24 months ahead for exits by ensuring books are clean, GAAP-compliant, and audit-ready. Advisors optimize EBITDA, normalize expenses, and create quality-of-earnings narratives.

They organize data rooms, coordinate legal processes, develop detailed projections, and support negotiations, enhancing valuation and ensuring a smoother, more confident exit process for founders.